Jannik Sinner, the Italian tennis star, has impressed his fellow players with his ability to slide on the grass during his match against Lorenzo Sonego at the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle. The 21-year-old is the fourth seed at the ATP 500 event and defeated his compatriot and friend 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4 in a gruelling round of 16 encounters that lasted for two hours and 52 minutes.
Sinner showed remarkable agility and balance as he slid on the grasscourt several times to chase down Sonego's shots. His movement was reminiscent of Novak Djokovic, who is known for incorporating sliding during his grasscourt matches. However, most players avoid sliding on grass as it can be risky and injure their ankles.
W atch the video here:
Sinner's sliding skills caught the attention of his colleagues, who expressed their surprise and admiration on social media. Australian player Daria Saville tweeted, "How do you all slide on grass?" Her compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis replied, "Legit my ankle feels like it could snap into 2 pieces." Montenegrin player Danka Kovinic also chimed in, "The only thing I know is that I am not gonna find that out."
Sinner advanced to his ninth tour-level quarter-final of the year with the win over Sonego but unfortunately was injured and had to forfeit his quarter-final game against Alexander Bublik after losing the first set 5-7 and was down 2-0 in the second. With Wimbledon just days away Sinner will hope it's nothing serious.
